There are no applications related to this application filed in this or any foreign country.
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The present invention relates generally to a clamping device and more specifically a clamping device for stainless steel sinks having a rolled rim edge.
Keeping America""s food supply free from bacteria contamination has been and will always be of utmost priority. Consumer confidence is of vital importance to food service businesses. Serving spoiled food to the general public and running a dirty facility destroys consumer confidence and can cause business failure. Regulatory agencies routinely inspect and grade food service businesses for assurance that proper procedures are being followed to protect the food supply. Laws and penalties are in place to enforce compliance. Business operators have to continually seek assurances that their employees are trained properly and that the right programs and procedures are in place to effectively prevent and control the growth of bacteria, maintain a clean and impressive facility, and assure that regulatory compliance is always achieved.
Food Service businesses commonly have one or more stainless steel sinks. These sinks are usually freestanding with an open area underneath. They may comprise one or more compartments dependent upon the design and the user needs. A 3-compartment sink is the more common of the designs. These sinks commonly have a working surface with a rolled rim edge along the front and sides which minimize midsection discomfort when bending over the working surface to wash, rinse, and sanitize cooking equipment used during food preparation.
All food preparation items must be routinely washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use. Regulatory agencies require a three-step process of washing, rinsing, and sanitizing all food contact surfaces, followed by an air-drying process; thus, illustrating the importance of the compartmentalized sinks. Employees wash the items in one compartment, rinse the items in a second compartment, and sanitize the items in a third compartment. Because the workload at the sink area is intense and very repetitious, there is always a plurality of cooking equipment, detergents, sanitizers, and other items in and around the sink area. Historically, wall-mounted racks have been a means for organizing such items. However, wall-mounted racks require holes that create potential portals of entry for insects and rodents and aesthetically damage the walls. Since adequate space is a premium in most food preparation areas, particularly around the sink area, a means for organizing cleaning chemicals, cleaning tools, and other ancillary food service equipment would be beneficial to food service establishments.
Employee safety is also a primary concern in food preparation areas. The floors are especially important to safety since a greasy floor can cause a slip and fall, and thus result in possible injury and liability issues for the business operators. The floor cleaning process is usually performed with a food grade water hose attached to a hose bib outlet, in conjunction with a mopping arrangement. Quite often, the hose is stored under the sink on the floor, or in some instances, a wall-mounted hose hanger is used, attached to a wall stud with either screws or bolts. Regulatory agencies quite often deduct points for hoses left openly exposed on the floor, as it is a cleaning hindrance and a walking safety hazard.
Chemical manufacturers maintain a marketing focus in the food service industry. Numerous manufacturers provide an array of cleaning products, along with employee training tools and chemical dispensing equipment to control the consumption rate of the products. Chemical manufacturers package their chemicals utilizing different concepts. Gallon containers, five-gallon pails, and polypropylene bags are the most common types of packaging used. The chemicals are stored on the floor under the sinks, on the drain board of the sinks, in racks mounted to the walls near the sinks, or in freestanding racks around and under the sinks.
Therefore, there remains a need in the food service industry for a versatile device which will aid in safely organizing and making readily accessible items used while working at and around the sink area.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clamping device for stainless steel sinks which aids in safely organizing and making readily accessible items used while working at and around the sink area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping device for stainless steel sinks which eliminates the need for freestanding storage racks which impede the cleaning of floors.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping device for stainless steel sinks which eliminates the need to drill holes in walls or sinks when mounting dispensing equipment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a clamping device for stainless steel sinks which is mounted to the rolled rim by utilizing four points of contact.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a clamping device for stainless steel sinks which when mounted can be slid along the edge of the rolled rim working surface.
The present invention provides a clamping device for stainless steel sinks having rolled rim edges. The device comprises a facial plate having a front and a crispate top connecting the front to a back. The front has a pair of elongated slots disposed substantially near the bottom of the front on opposite sides and extend upward vertically there from. The front facial plate has a greater linear extension than the back facial plate. Inserted between the front and back is a compression gib of substantial thickness. The compression gib has a pair of grooves which align with the slots in the facial plate. The top of the compression gib has a crispate shape which allows it to fit firmly beneath the rolled rim of a stainless steel sink when in operation. A supporting member having two arms connected at one end by a cross member and opposite thereto a pair of threaded ends is used to fay the device together and to the sink. The threaded ends are received by the vertical slots in the front facial plate and the grooves of the compression gib. Fastening means and washers are affixed to the threaded ends of the supporting member to assist in securing the clamping device to the sink. A bracing member is affixed to the terminal end of each threaded end of the supporting member.
Other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detail description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying and appended claims.